'Godo's daughter'

[Yuffie opens her eyes and is forced to shut them again quickly as the late afternoon sun shines directly down on her face and almost blinds her. For a few minutes, she lies still, listening to the repetition of movement and creaking coming from the moving wagon, and the occasional chirp from the chocobos. As she expects, the ninja are mostly quiet, though she gathers that they are aware of her wakefulness.
[She gradually realises how hot she is beneath her blankets so she kicks them off her and reluctantly opens her eyes once more, this time taking care to avoid looking directly into the sky.]

Sekar : You woke up just in time.

[Yuffie turns to him blearily. He's holding out a flask of water to her. Mumbling her thanks, she takes it and gulps down several mouthfuls of the cool liquid. Once she's slaked her thirst, she hands the flask back to him.]

Yuffie : In time for what?

[For an answer, he points over her shoulder. She twists around and sees the rooftops of Utai emerging from beneath the gentle line of hills that surround them. The sight evokes mixed feelings in the young ninja. She's surprised to find herself glad to be home, even if her current situation remains a cause of dread.]

Yuffie : (murmurs) Home... (louder) So this is when I'll finally know for sure what all this is for.

[Sekar nods.
[The remaining few miles trundle by at their own pace. By the time the troupe reaches the outskirts of the village, the sun is already quite low in the sky and the horizon begins to flood with the deep red hue of evening. Yuffie looks around, realising that she can't see any of the villagers. Very few of the houses are lit and the only faces she can spot in the streets are those of the village warriors.]

Yuffie : Hey, where is everyone? They can't all be asleep already.

Sekar : They're in the caves.

Yuffie : What, at Da Chao? (turns to the mountain)

Sekar : No, the ones at the West Cliffs, overlooking the coast.

Yuffie : (shocked) Why would they be at the hideaways?

Sekar : Godo'll explain everything. (sees her expression) Please, Yuffie? Just be a little patient, okay?

[It's his sudden hesitant and polite demeanor more than anything else that surprises her into taking his suggestion to heart. As they move down the empty streets, past the shops and houses, her concern and wariness grow. To her experience, Utai, while admittedly a small village, had never been this quiet at all. Her uneasiness seems to be mirrored slightly by the actions of the other ninja surrounding her. She swallows thickly, wiping away the perspiration from her face. Suddenly, she realises something else.]

Yuffie : Why's it so hot here?

[Sekar doesn't reply and she rolls her eyes slightly.]

Yuffie : (sighs) "Godo'll explain everything", right?

[Despite her discomfort and impatience, she sits quietly until they roll up to the archway leading toYuffie's house. The Tower looms imposingly beyond the low roof of the family home, as always monopolising her attention.
[The others dismount to climb the stairs and she follows suit, albeit with a slower pace. To her mild annoyance, Sekar hovers close by, as if he's afraid her tired legs would slip and she'd crack her head on the hard stones.]

Yuffie : (grimaces inwardly; thinks) And I probably might, too...

[Her legs are steadier than she gives them credit for. They arrive at the top of the steps with her only slightly winded. Once they are all there, the ninja drop to a kneeling position, heads bowed. Yuffie glances at each of them in turn and huffs impatiently, but makes no move to imitate them.]

Gray : (loudly) Master Godo, we have returned.

[The doors slide open and Godo steps out with enough pomp and self-assurance to advertise his status as head of the clan ninja. His footsteps are, as they always had been, the careful, silent steps of a warrior of stealth. His gait is slow, as if he is only out for an evening stroll; the casual style of his walk is somehow enhanced by his slightly portly build. Like all the others, he keeps his back ramrod straight, giving the impression of being unbending and inflexible, but Yuffie knows that even this is a sham; Godo is more than capable of extreme feats of agility when the situation demands it. His face bears a stern expression and it becomes even sterner when he sees Yuffie standing insolently out in a courtyard of kneeling ninja, her very posture and facial expression daring him to voice comment on her attitude. Which he predictably does.]

Godo : (wearily) Yuffie, if you weren't my daughter, I swear I'd have thrown you off a cliff by now.

Yuffie : (scowls) You already did that once for your stupid acrobatics training, remember?

Godo : (ignores her) Such disrespect for your own father. You're only adding to your list of transgressions, girl. (to Gray) You have the materia.

[Gray holds the shuriken out to him with both hands. Godo's eyebrows lift at the sight of the crystal-like stone set in the centre of the throwing star. He takes the weapon.]

Godo : Good work. Gray, bring her in. (turns and enters the house)

[Gray rises and dismisses the others, but Ioz and Sekar hang close with unhappy faces. He nods to them.]

Gray : You two, come with me. (to Yuffie) If you please. (gestures towards the house)

Yuffie : (mutters) I just love these Kisaragi family reunions.

[She walks in, nose in the air, treading the fine line between snootiness and petulance. Just as they are about to go through the doorway leading to the main hall where Godo waits, Gray stops them.]

Gray : I have to speak to Master Godo privately, first. Take Yuffie to her room and wait for my call.

[Without waiting for their acknowledgement, he goes in, sliding the door behind him. Ioz shrugs and takes a firm grip of Yuffie's shoulders.]

Ioz : C'mon, kid. Let's go.

[Yuffie's retort comes almost automatically; only, she clamps down on it at the very last moment, realising the futility of protest. Swallowing her pride proves to be one of the hardest things she's ever done, but she forces herself not to lash out, giving Ioz the opportunity to steer her into her room.
[Her room -- still in its usual state of messiness -- elicits a comment from Ioz, but he otherwise keeps clear of angering her outright. Bitterly, Yuffie relises that it's only his wariness of Godo's proximity as well as the elder's unpredictable protectiveness of his daughter that prompts this caution from Ioz. She shoots a look at Sekar, noting his ongoing scrutiny of her. The close attention is unnerving.]

Yuffie : (thinks) It's like he's thinking I'll do something drastic. Well, maybe I will, but not until I get a better idea of what I'm gonna be up against.

[Ioz takes a moment to conduct a hushed discussion with Sekar before leaving the room, careful to shut the door.]

Yuffie : So, I guess you're my escort for the time being, huh?

[Sekar gives a weak smile and positions himself by the door. With a 'couldn't care less' toss of her head, Yuffie plops herself down on the floor, sitting crosslegged. Her eyes scan over the entire room, taking in most everything: the dusty corners, the little cabinet, the barely touched clothes drawers, the amaeteurly-drawn map of Utai pasted casually on one wall and her noticeably bare shuriken collection. This last one causes her to scowl mightily in displeasure. Her collection of throwing stars has always been one of her dearest things, and she feels justifiably proud of their relative completeness. The empty slots and mounts are like a travesty to her eyes. She's sure that her father has something to do with the missing weapons, but in light of the position she's in, it's understandable that he'd go to such lengths out of caution. Sekar notices her angry stare, but does nothing to enlighten her.
[Sure that everything else in her room had been left relatively untouched during her absence, Yuffie resigns herself to another wait. It's not long in lasting. After several minutes pass, Ioz opens the door.]

Ioz : Showtime, Yuffie.

[She takes a deep breath and rises to her feet in one smooth motion, then sweeps past them as imperiously as she can, setting the pace. Behind her, she can hear Ioz's muttered comments on 'bratty daddy's girl'. It's unbelievable the amount of restraint it takes to stop herself from turning around and whacking him one on the head.
[She'd told herself earlier to appear calm, cool and composed before her father. However, once she enters the hall and stands in front of Godo, it's instantly obvious that old habits die hard.]

Yuffie : (snaps) Old man, you've got a lot of explaining to do.

Godo : Speak for yourself, girl. I thought you were supposed to stay here and help me out. Instead, you just up and disappear on us after four days of lazing around.

Yuffie : What do you mean 'help you out'? You never said anything about anything while I was here!

Godo : That doesn't mean you should just run off! (narrows his eyes) And I don't remember giving you permission to take Invisibility with you. Where is it?

Yuffie : (red-faced) Somewhere... safe. (thinks) Like in the belly of a kraken. (aloud) I'm not telling you where until I get some answers.

Godo : (laments) Acting like a common thug... Girl, your mother would be so ashamed to see you now.

Yuffie : Aw, stuff it, dad. That whole guilt trip tactic of yours wore off long ago.

Godo : You just have no respect for anything, not even my privacy. Breaking into my private materia collection like that. It's unheard of!

Yuffie : Oh, and what about my shurikens? What'd you do to them?

Godo : I have them locked up safely somewhere. (crafty look) I'm not telling you where they are until I get some answers, too.

Yuffie : (snorts) Now who's acting like a common thug?

[Gray softly clears his throat.]

Godo : (easily) We'll finish our discussion later, Yuffie. For now, I want to hear how you came by this thing.

[He lifts her shuriken from the floor. The materia glints prettily in the light.]

Godo : You got this at Midgar.

[Yuffie says nothing. After a while, Godo sighs.]

Godo : (wearily) Yuffie...

Yuffie : What do you expect me to say? I'm sure Gray's already told you everything.

Godo : I want to hear your account. Now, sit down and tell me how you got this.

[Yuffie shrugs. Planting her butt on the floor, she launches into a summarised -- and biased -- telling of the latest addition to her materia collection. Through it all, Godo and the others listen quietly, not interrupting her, although Ioz and Sekar do find several instances of objection. Once she is done speaking, Godo folds his arms over his chest, nods slowly and closes his eyes with his face set in a contemplative expression.]

Yuffie : Okay, I've told you what you wanted to know. Now will you at least tell me what the point is in all of this? (leans forward) What do you want this materia for?

Godo : (sagely) Everything to its purpose.

Yuffie : (growls) Dad...

Godo : (raises a hand) It is a shame that you didn't stay here a couple of days longer, you know. I was ready to tell you everything once we had enough information to make the appropriate plans. Too bad you decided to take off so soon.

Yuffie : Information on what?

Godo : Be quiet, girl. I'm getting to it.

[Yuffie bites off a sharp retort and settles down with poor grace.]

Godo : I don't need to tell you, of all people, how badly Meteor affected the planet. You already know about the earthquakes, the mutations that have been cropping up, as well as the sudden increase in aggressive beasts. Those are all pretty much old news by now, actually. However, in the first few weeks after Meteor, Utai -- like other continents -- suffered most terribly...

Yuffie : (sarcastically; thinks) Now, why does all this sound familiar, somehow? (sighs to herself)

Godo : ... waters withdrew, leaving many of our boats stranded in the middle of the land. The seas became unfriendly and unsustaining, as if Leviathan itself was withholding its bounty from us. For a while, the rains would not come to our fields, despite our many offerings to Da Chao. Truly, the gods of our world were angry at our human folly in allowing the coming of Meteor. And rightfully so! For, as it was written by the great poet Murasaki, is it not the cursed destiny of all men to...

Yuffie : (looks heavenward; thinks) Oh, gawd, he's in one of those lecturing moods again.

Godo : ... times befell us all! It was only the reality of the accursed and thrice-damned ShinRa's demise that managed to sustain our hearts through the harsh trials that followed in Meteor's wake. As the weeks slowly passed, so too, did our hardship. Our gods had obviously taken compassion into their hearts and were granting us the chance to redeem ourselves in their eyes. We began to grow confident that Utai would soon enter a new golden age. A time of prosperity, plenty...

[Yuffie stifles a whimper. Her eyes are already beginning to glaze over.]

Godo : ... and good fortune. With the fear of starvation and abandonment subsided, we could then dedicate more of our time to studying the effects of Meteor's proximity. As I had mentioned earlier, the various mutations undergone by some of the indiginous animals and plants are already well-known, as are the restless stirrings of the very earth beneath our feet. It's true that most of these happenings have resulted in more... dangerous times for everyone. (shakes his head sadly) Things did not look very promising for us at first, to be honest. Still, once our attentions turned to the question of Meteor's effect on materia, we were caught by surprise. We found that materia could also undergo mutations! This, of course, led us to surmise the existence of the new materia. And, with the promise of new materia comes the promise of newer and more potent power and wealth.

[Yuffie blinks and begins to listen intently.]

Godo : It is this thought of the future good times that brought out the greed in our hearts. (sighs) I feel I must first say that the courage and fortitude of our people is truly inspiring. We worked hard to reap what benefits we could from the various terrible mutations that surrounded us. We tried to prosper in the face of hardship, and in some ways, we have succeeded. It is a testament to the adaptability of Utai that we have been able to flow with the challenges, to take advantage of and then to rise above them, in so short a time. (grim) Regrettably, in our arrogant enthusiasm, we managed to blind ourselves to the obvious dangers that our actions might bring. (takes a deep breath) Which brings us to our current situation.

[He raises his eyes to look straight into hers. There is a seriousness in him that startles his daughter. Yuffie waits tensely.]

Godo : Yuffie, this village, our very way of life, is on the verge of destruction. A terrible danger threatens to arise from the depths of the great Da Chao. Perhaps this is the greatest irony of all: that our possible demise which was born from our carelessly unknowing actions should stem from our most compassionate and revered heart. All our efforts to put this aright have failed. In our desperation, we at last turned to our poor oracle for guidance. Even though blinded by the agony of her trances, she was able to tell us to seek out the new materia.

Yuffie : (thinks) So the oracle told them to go to Midgar, huh? They must really be in some deep #*@& to listen to what that madwoman has to say.

Godo : Yuffie. You have listened patiently to my tale. Now I want you to say you will use your materia and put an end to this danger.

[Yuffie stares at him wordlessly. Godo stares back. Finally...]

Yuffie : (explodes) That's it?! That's all you'll tell me? 'Terrible danger'; 'destruction of our way of life'; and then 'please bail us out'?

Godo : (frowns) Perhaps you still don't quite understand the severity of our situation.

Yuffie : Damned right, I don't understand! You made me sit through all that and yet you still managed to tell me diddly squat! You sent your goons to steal my stone, drag me halfway around the world through untold $#*+, and all you can tell me is that you screwed up somehow and now you want me to clean up after you?! What else is there that you're not mentioning?

Godo : I'm serious, Yuffie. We need you to use the materia you got.

Yuffie : What makes you think it can be used in the first place?

Godo : (silent for a while) Aren't you even going to tell me that you'll at least try?

Yuffie : Try? Try what? And for what? (shakes her head) I can't.

Godo : Won't you trust me enough to say you will?

Yuffie : (grits her teeth) I can't do it!

Godo : (eyes narrowed) I don't remember raising you to be such a quitter.

Yuffie : Look, dad. Face the facts. (points at materia) That stone will not be used.

Godo : (coldly) And that's your final decision, is it? I see. (rises; to Sekar and Ioz) You two, take her back to her room. She stays there. Understand?

Yuffie : What? Dad...! (rises)

Godo : (ignores her) Gray, gather teams one and two and wait for me at the foot of the mountain. I'll meet you once my preparations are complete. (grips Yuffie's shuriken tightly) Tell the rest to head for the West Cliffs.

Gray : I understand.

[Yuffie starts to protest, but the words are cut off by Ioz and Sekar hoisting her out of the hall. They move quickly despite her struggling and deposit her into her room once more. Ioz then leaves, but Sekar remains for a moment longer.]

Sekar : (sadly) Please don't try to escape, Yuffie.

Yuffie : Sekar, what's going on? What kind of preparations was dad talking about?

[Sekar doesn't answer. Turning, he leaves. A moment later, Yuffie can hear the faint sounds of her doors being tied shut.]

Yuffie : Sekar!

[Swiftly she tries to pull the doors apart but the effort fails. She swears softly.
[The sounds die down within moments, but she is sure that Sekar is still just outside the door. She goes over to the windows and tries to open them, too, but finds them in a similar state.]

Yuffie : Damn that old man. Guess he decided not to take any chances on me this time.

[She looks around. Her room contains no obvious weapons now that her shuriken collection is bare, but no self-respecting ninja of Utai would keep all of her implements in plain sight. A quick search of all the room's hidden weapons caches prove fruitless, however; Godo had those stripped as well. There are still plenty of things she can use to tear open the paper doors and windows, but she is reluctant to employ them for now.]

Yuffie : (thinks) They'd make too much noise and alert the wonder twins out there. (smirks) Time for my escape route, then. Hope dad didn't find that one, too.

[She pads softly over to one corner of her room. To her relief, this portion of the room had not been tampered with. Kneeling before a tiny cabinet, she opens it with a respect and reverance that was decidedly absent from her dealings with Godo. Inside waits a small, framed, faded picture of a smiling woman.]

Yuffie : (softly) Sorry about this, mom.

[She gazes on the picture for a moment longer before closing the cabinet and gently shifting the whole thing to one side, being especially careful not to make any noise. Underneath, the floor mat is lifted to reveal a small section of slightly discoloured wooden planks. She presses down on one end of the floorboards, prompting the other end to swing upwards in a seesaw effect. Hiding the boards away, she turns at last to the square hole of about two feet wide and slightly more of that in length that gapes open. Yuffie takes one final look around and then enters the hole feet first, pausing only to draw the floor mat over the opening. It wouldn't do very much to conceal the crawlspace, especially since she had to move such an obvious thing like the cabinet to get to it, but she hopes that it would at least buy her a little time.
[She shifts around in the cramped passage. It's tricky, but she does eventually manage to turn herself about so that she's facing the exit. It's dark, but otherwise, the crawlspace itself is a simple deal to navigate in, especially since she can only go one way. The young ninja snakes forward on her belly. There are a few snags along the way. As she moves with great difficulty, she resolves to one day do some more secretive digging to widen her escape route.]

Yuffie : (thinks) The last time I used this hole was when dad grounded me for playing with the Fire materia and accidentally torching his futon. Geez, I could fit into this place just fine then. (sighs) Guess I have grown some in the past three years.

[Unbidden comes the thought that Tifa would definitely not be able to fit into the hole at all. It's enough to bring a grin of bittersweet amusement to her face.]

Yuffie : (thinks) Once this is all done, I swear I'm gonna give her such a whack on the head for being so late. If she's coming to help me, that is. (darkly) She'd better be coming for me if she knows what's good for her.

[It takes her a painfully long time to reach the end of the five metre-long tunnel and to find the light hatch covering its exit. As she feels around for the edges of the hatch, she can remember the weeks of nighttime digging she'd had to carry out in preparing her crawlspace, not to mention the many times she'd had to weave and reweave the hatch with the right materials so that it would be light enough for her to move, whilst also being strong enough to hold the weight of a man walking on top of it. She'd had to wait for Godo to leave the house before she could even dare to try opening up the floorboards in her room. She smiles a bit in remembrance of her self-satisfaction at accomplishing her endeavour with such deception.
[Finally locating the edges of the hatch, she pushes her fingers right through the thin layer of turf around them. A sudden flow of cool night air is her immediate reward, and it bolsters her confidence some more. With a bit of pushing, she tears the rest of the turf and dirt around the hatch, lifts and pokes her head out of the exit. A quick look shows that no one is about and she heaves herself out as quietly as she can before covering the hole up once more.]

Yuffie : (stretches lightly; thinks) Heh. 'Always prepared'... That's me. Now to get to dad. (looks in the direction of the mountain) Right in the heart of Da Chao, huh. He always did like to think he had a flair for the dramatic.

[She lopes off in a low crouching run, absently brushing away the excess dirt and bugs she'd picked up during her crawl to freedom. The exit of the hole is situated behind her house and within cover, so she's fairly sure that neither Sekar nor Ioz could have seen her coming out of the ground. This sureness is the reason why she almost leaps out of her skin in shock when a knockout dart whizzes by just a hairsbreadth away from her ear. Instantly, she drops to the ground, moving quickly to hide. Ioz's voice comes out from within the dark of night.]

Ioz : Looks like you have a fair amount of luck on your side tonight.

[Yuffie cranes her head this way and that, trying to locate him from where she hides. To her surprise, Ioz steps out into clear view.]

Ioz : Come on out. (smirks) Think of this as your chance to surrender.

[Yuffie stays still, listening intently for sounds of other ninja heading her way. The absence of their coming is a slight comfort. At least, she's sure that she can handle Ioz by himself.]

Ioz : What's wrong, Yuffie? I know you're still there. Come out, or I'll just have to hit you with another spell. You wouldn't want that again, would you? (pulls out a materia)

Yuffie : (thinks) Damn it. I don't know if I can fight off a Sleepel right now.

[The ninja girl grits her teeth angrily. After a moment's hesitation, she rises. Ioz grins easily when she comes into full view.]

Ioz : Not too bad, Yuffie. You almost made it.

Yuffie : I didn't think anyone had seen me.

Ioz : Nope, I didn't see you leave, or hear you for that matter. (gestures) Come closer.

Yuffie : (steps forward slowly) How, then?

[Ioz takes a deep breath, sweeping his head around expansively, then smiles his gratingly smug smile.]

Ioz : That's an interesting new scent you're wearing, Yuffie. I always did like the smell of fresh earth. Reminds me of my grandmother's old garden.

[Yuffie curses herself. In retrospect, her mistake is glaringly obvious. For the moment, she's glad that Ioz can't see her face clearly.]

Ioz : (muses) Escape tunnel... I had a feeling you'd have an emergency route out of your room. Not a very creative choice of method, though.

[Yuffie shrugs with a carelessness she doesn't feel.]

Yuffie : What now?

Ioz : (voice hardening) You're going back to your room, little girl, and this time I'm gonna make sure you're staying there.

[Yuffie narrows her eyes. It doesn't matter if he's planning to tie her up again, or send her to sleep. She can't afford to let him restrain her. One more night like that would drive her bonkers. Besides, she's not sure if she can get another chance to work herself free a second time.]

Yuffie : (mutters) Do your worst, Ioz.

[Ioz looks unsurprised at her resistance and rolls the stone in his hand with a certain relish.]

Ioz : At daggerpoint or on a stretcher, you're going back, Yuffie. (starts to cast his spell)

[Knowing that she has only a very short window of opportunity to get to him before his spell is released, Yuffie takes off in a leap towards him, one hand curled into a tight fist.
[It's entirely possible that she might have been able to reach him before he finishes his spellcasting. The debate becomes pointless when a sudden, violent shaking of the land jars Ioz's concentration loose. Yuffie, still in midleap, is unaffected, but Ioz reels and windmills his arms, trying reflexively to regain his balance. Yuffie's fist connects solidly with Ioz's jaw before the man can recover. He hits the ground with a thud, the materia rolling from his grasp.
[Yuffie stands ready for anything, but relaxes once she realises that Ioz is out like a light.]

Yuffie : (blinks) Well, I'll be... Glass jaw, huh? (grins) Lucky me.

[She strikes up one of her favourite victory poses, thumbing her nose proudly, and then winces in pain. Her hand hurts like hell.]

Yuffie : (shaking her hand painfully) Oowww... I'm definitely not suited for the barehanded stuff.

[Stooping to pick up the materia and Ioz's daggers, she moves off. The last of the evening light gently fades from the skies, and she is thankful for the extra shadows that rise to take its place. Her long familiarity with Utai's dark spots would come in very handy indeed. She keeps a close eye and ear out for more visitors. Nevertheless, her mind turns to the recent showdown with Ioz.]

Yuffie : (thinks) What was it that made him lose concentration like that? Earthquake? I doubt that... At least, I've never experienced any earthquakes like that before.

[At the absence of any more plausible kinds of answers, she decides to let the question lie. Whatever the cause, it had certainly been a very convenient set of circumstances for her, and she isn't one to complain about her own good fortune.
[Her victorious scuffle with Ioz seems to be doing wonders in waking her senses up some more. Just like the previous night, the euphoria of her awakening perceptions is all-encompassing. She just can't seem to wipe the expression of joy off her face for some reason. She maintains her focus on the task at hand, but spreads her attention to cover everything she can; the speed of her pace, the careful placement of her feet to ensure minimum noise, the path ahead of her, the sights, sounds and smells of her surroundings. In a way, she's behaving like she usually does during her long ago nighttime explorations of the village. It's almost like old times, actually.
[She's not surprised when she comes to the realisation that someone is following her. In fact, she's pretty sure that it's Sekar coming. She frowns, weighing her options. Hiding would probably be the best course of action, but she doesn't want to spend the time looking for a good spot to wait for Sekar to go away. Besides, he might just find her just like Ioz had earlier. Yuffie allows herself an inward grimace. Maybe she should have taken a couple of minutes to dunk herself in the stream to wash away the earthy smells she'd acquired.
[She's running along close to the edge of Utai's stream and about halfway to the village proper, so she slows her pace. The promise of better cover and hiding places among the buildings is sweet, but she's not particularly thrilled at the thought of having to worry about bumping into scores of other village warriors in the process.
[Her ears pick up a soft scuffing of feet on the ground behind her. Instantly, she skips aside, feeling the cold swish of a weapon sweep by, followed by the clang of metal on ground. She takes a few steps back, never breaking her gaze away from Sekar.]

Sekar : (straightens) Why couldn't you have just stayed put like I asked, Yuffie?

Yuffie : You know better than to ask me that, Sekar.

Sekar : (bemused) I suppose asking you to go back to your room won't work, either.

Yuffie : (grins) Has it ever?

[He tightens his grip on his shortsword. The amusement never fades from his eyes, even as he drops to a fighting stance.]

Sekar : Let's get to it, then.

[He springs forward, pushing the tip of his sword in a beeline for Yuffie's body. She evades the weapon before remembering that he isn't looking to kill her, only to incapacitate. Indeed, even as she moves, he twists the weapon about, bringing the flat of his sword around to catch her on the side of the head. Yuffie desperately drops low and whips her leg about in a less than graceful imitation of Tifa's sweeping kick. It catches Sekar's own legs and throws him off his feet. Seizing her opportunity, Yuffie lunges for him with one of Ioz's daggers in her hand. He rolls away, leaving her to strike the ground beneath. Her hand, already aching from punching Ioz, now feels like agony. Sekar moves out a short distance away. He stares at the weapon she's holding.]

Sekar : Ioz really isn't going to be happy about that.

[Yuffie frowns a little at his conversational tone, feeling slightly insulted that he doesn't even sound like he's taking the fight seriously.]

Sekar : He had those daggers made especially for himself, you know. I imagine he's gonna want a rematch with you as well. (smiles) You did nice work on him, though. It didn't even look as though you had that tough a time with him.

Yuffie : That's not surprising. I'm a lot better than people like to think.

Sekar : You don't have to convince me of anything. I know just how good you are.

Yuffie : (thinks) What the hell does he mean by that?

[Sekar comes at her again. Once more she dodges, feeling her irritation grow as she continues to observe him. Sekar's relaxed attitude is nothing more than vexing. Though he takes care not to hurt her unduly, nor to give her much opportunity to gain the upper hand, he also doesn't seem to be trying very hard to defeat her. She's more inclined to think that he's looking to mock her skills. Inwardly seething, she wants more than anything to teach him a lesson.
[Then it finally dawns on her that he isn't really doing anything because he has nothing to lose by doing so. If she were in his shoes, she'd almost certainly be doing the same thing. By biding his time, he's allowing her to grow impatient and make mistakes, tire her out, or even to wait for reinforcements to come. Whatever his plans, the only thing she does know for sure is that by sticking around here any longer, she's giving Godo more time to do whatever it is he's doing.]

Yuffie : What's dad up to? What kind of danger is there that needs a new materia to handle?

Sekar : You'd know that by now if you had only agreed to use the materia.

Yuffie : Holy, you deaf or something? I told you, I can't use that bloody rock! Besides, I'm not such an idiot that I'd agree to do something when I don't know the full story behind it.

[Sekar doesn't reply, preferring to edge around her. The girl grinds her teeth in frustration, feeling her blood boil, but exercising every ounce of restraint she can muster to keep her temper in check.]

Yuffie : (thinks) Damnit. I have to end this, and fast!

[Not for the first time that night does she wish that she has her shuriken with her. Ioz's daggers are nicely balanced and could double as throwing knives though she doubts that they would return to their wielder like her shurikens can. They certainly are handy, but not to her preference. The materia she had gotten from Ioz -- a Sleepel -- is only a slightly better comfort.
[She brings out the materia. Backing away from Sekar slowly, she starts to call up her spell. As expected, Sekar charges her. Yuffie steps aside only slightly, allowing his strike to miss her by mere centimetres and, abandoning her spell, gives Sekar's back a shove even as her foot hooks into his. The ninja staggers off balance and hops on one foot madly, quickly regaining his footing. As he turns around to face her, Yuffie lets one of her borrowed weapons fly straight at him.
[He catches sight of the incoming missile out of the corner of one eye and instinctively brings his shortsword about in a backhanded arc to bat it aside. Even as the loud sound of metal on metal rings thoughout the night, Yuffie herself barrels into him. Her impact carries the two of them into the air for several feet, tearing past the layer of brush and saplings and into the stream with a mighty splash.
[Yuffie emerges from below the waters first, gasping loudly at the shock of her sudden immersion. Sekar is nowhere to be seen. Confused, Yuffie tries to locate him. Torn between wanting to go off to find Godo and making sure that she hadn't accidentally drowned Sekar, she slowly wades through the waist-deep waters.
[A surge of water rises from behind Yuffie and Sekar crashes into her, his arms wrapping around her waist to drag her to underwater once more. Yuffie thrashes desperately, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but, like before, his hold is tight and unrelenting.
[One of her flailing elbows cracks into the side of his head in a moderately strong blow. His grip weakens for a moment and Yuffie is quick to turn around and follow up her strike with another; a more precisely aimed and powered effort that lances the hilt of the remaining dagger straight at his much-abused skull. This time, he lets go of her completely.
[Yuffie propels herself upwards and breaks the surface of the water, coughing and gagging out the water she'd accidentally inhaled. Unresponsive, Sekar bobs facedown to the surface and she grabs his tunic to drag him to the shore. Once on dry land, she drops him unceremoniously before allowing herself to sink to her knees, exhausted.]

Yuffie : (thinks) Like I wasn't getting tired enough before this... (swallows) I'd better get a move on. That little swim of ours is bound to attract attention.

[She stands, groaning softly at her aching body. She still has Ioz's dagger but the materia is lost. She sighs unhappily and decides to hang around a little longer to check up on Sekar.
[She bites her lip as she examines him. There is a nasty gash on his head where she had struck him and blood is trickling down the side of his face. She didn't think she had hit him that hard. Tearing off part of his sleeve, she wraps the rudimentary bandage around his wound as best as she can then proceeds to strip him of his materia. It's a sorry haul: one Fire and a Poison.]

Yuffie : (thinks) Better than nothing, I guess.

[Pocketing her latest treasures and sparing one last glance at the unconscious ninja, the soaked girl then continues towards Da Chao.]

=========================

'Unfinished business'

[Tifa comes up to Cloud's side, keeping her head low. The former Soldier seems to take no notice of her presence, preferring to maintain his eagle-eyed vigil over the goings-on in Utai from his distant vantage point.]

Tifa : (voice low) What's going on?

Cloud : Nothing, actually. Barely anything moving there.

[Tifa raises herself up just high enough to peer over the hill. Utai is dark and dormant, as if all of its people were deep in the arms of slumber. That in itself wouldn't be so odd, except for the fact that it's not even night yet.]

Tifa : Nothing at all?

Cloud : A couple of warriors look to be on patrol, but otherwise, the whole place is kinda dead. I don't think there are any civilians about at all.

Tifa : Evacuated?

Cloud : Mmm, it certainly looks that way. (throws her a sideways glance) What do you say we go down there and look at things up close?

Tifa : (smiles slightly) You've read my mind, Cloud Strife.

[They pull back a short distance away where Barret and Cait Sith await. Cloud pulls out his PHS.]

Cloud : (to PHS) Cid?

[The communicator crackles and hisses, then Cid's gruff voice comes through.]

Cid : About time!

Cloud : Utai's just as quiet down here as it looked in the air. We're going in. Keep the Highwind back and wait for my call.

Cid : So we're the cavalry, huh? (snorts) Don't make too much trouble down there, kid.

Cloud : We'll just see what happens. (signs off; to others) All right, let's go.

Barret : What, we just gonna walk in there like nothin's up?

Cloud : Oh, there's something going on there but we're not going to just charge in there until we have a better idea of what it might be. Tifa and I are going in their front doors first while the two of you wait by that rise over there. (points) If they give us any trouble, you can jump in at any time.

Barret : (dubious) What kinda plan d'you call that?

Cloud : (coldly) Mine.

[Barret rolls his eyes, but a look from Tifa prompts him to drop it. With a muttered "Fine", the big man turns and claps a hand on Cait Sith's diminutive shoulder. The robotic cat is almost smothered by the huge limb and he pouts at the added weight.]

Barret : C'mon, cat. Our leader has spoken. (stalks off)

Cait : I'll keep my PHS on to listen in. The first sign of trouble, and we'll be there. (turns and squeaks) Wait! Hey, slow down! (hops off after Barret)

[The remaining two wait until they are out of sight before starting off. As casually as they can, they walk down towards Utai. The progressively dimming light of the day casts everything in a vivid red shade. The view of Utai at sunset is breathtaking. For an odd moment, Tifa finds herself wishing she'd brought a camera with her.
[Their walk is quiet for the first several minutes. Beside her, Cloud wears a mask of intense seriousness, much as he usually did as a child. She exhales loudly.]

Tifa : Was that really necessary?

Cloud : What?

Tifa : Ticking Barret off like that. I thought the two of you had put aside your arguing for a while.

Cloud : We weren't arguing.

Tifa : (deadpan) Really.

Cloud : It's just the way we've always been. You of all people should know that.

Tifa : I hope you're not going to tell me that this is one of those guy things.

Cloud : (looks slightly embarrassed) Of course not.

Tifa : Right.

Cloud : (after a while) We're not that bad, are we?

Tifa : Not usually, no. (wryly) I do wish that I didn't have to step in every once in a while to stop you two from beating each other up.

Cloud : We'd never go that far. (pauses) For the most part.

Tifa : I'll have to take your word for it.

Cloud : (teasingly) What's wrong? Don't you trust me?

Tifa : Of course I trust you. But... well, you've been getting into fights ever since I knew you as a kid. (remembers) In fact, I met you for the first time during one of those fights.

Cloud : (softly) I remember.

Tifa : It seems like wherever you go, there's always someone there for you to scuffle with. You don't start out belligerent, but you don't back down from a potential fight, either, even when it seems you have no chance of winning.

Cloud : That was then. I thought I had to fight to be strong. (looks at her) I like to think that I'm a little more grown up for that kind of thing now.

[Tifa meets his gaze. The gentle amusement it holds feels out of place in view of her old memories of Cloud. Nibelheim's Cloud had never held that kind of understanding humour about his failings. Neither had the Soldier Cloud who had sworn revenge on Sephiroth less than a year ago.]

Tifa : (thinks) But -- like he said -- that was then. People change, with or without Meteor's presence. But am I that out of touch with him that I don't even notice it until now?

Cloud : You've got that faraway look in your eyes again.

Tifa : (blinks) What?

Cloud : I've never known you to be so melancholy.

Tifa : (uncomfortable) I... I was just reminded of something.

[Cloud walks on, patiently waiting.]

Tifa : You've changed a lot, Cloud. You're not as angry as you were before.

Cloud : Neither are you.

Tifa : (surprised) Me? Are you serious?

Cloud : (nods) Nibleheim. Midgar. Sephiroth. Those aren't the only things we have in common, Tifa. When I first recognised you in Midgar, it wasn't just from my recollections of our childhood. I saw... (pauses) ... For a moment, I saw anger, grief, pain. It was just like that day in the Mako reactor, when I held you and you were bleeding so badly, I thought you were dead. There was so much pain we were both feeling, all those years ago. The memories of those things can't be wiped away, no matter how much Mako I had been exposed to. I saw all that in your eyes when we met again five years later.

Tifa : (scuffs her feet on the ground) I don't remember the events that happened in the reactor very well.

Cloud : Neither did I, back at Midgar. But the memories started coming back as I stayed on. Our meeting was the trigger. I got more than a little creative about the details, I'll admit, but then, I was kinda mixed up on who I really was at the time.

Tifa : (softly) So I reminded you of yourself just enough to get the gears in your head to turn.

Cloud : Yeah. We've shared a lot of history together. Of course, the big difference between us is that you've always been better at hiding certain emotions than me. You're a lot less self-destructive about it, too.

Tifa : There's not many people who're as screwed up as us, is there?

Cloud : It's a Nibelheim thing. (smiles gently)

Tifa : That's not something to be proud of.

Cloud : No. But it's not something to ignore, either.

Tifa : No. (pauses) You feel it, too, don't you? This... feeling of something missing. Unfinished.

Cloud : (nods; awkward) You and I... We need to put to rest certain... issues from Nibelheim.

Tifa : (weakly) Ah.

Cloud : (quickly) But not yet.

Tifa : No.

Cloud : Soon, though.

Tifa : Right.

[And just like that, they sink back into the now-familiar oceans of red-faced contemplation. Through the swirling morass of her emotions, though, is the acute sense of relief, both for having finally come to a decision to settle things between them, and for the indefinite delay in effect until the day they actually do broach the subject once more.]

Tifa : (thinks) Nothing more comforting than procrastination... Nobody ever said love was easy, but then they never mentioned that it'd be this difficult, either.

[They are no more than shouting distance from Utai's entrance now. Almost absently, Cloud thumbs the button to the PHS hanging from his belt.]

Cloud : (murmurs) Cait, are you and Barret ready?

Cait : Ready and waiting!

Cloud : All right. (signs off)

[Tifa gazes at the communicator with some surprise. She'd actually forgotten that Cait would be listening in. She suddenly wishes she'd had the presence of mind to ask if he had overheard everything she and Cloud had said earlier.]

Tifa : (thinks) No. It doesn't matter if he heard or not. I'd better just keep focussed on the matter at hand. (sighs inwardly) Besides, I don't think I can stand the embarrassment if I do find out that he'd been listening in on us.

Cloud : Company.

[The martial artist looks ahead and sees a pair of ninja standing in plain sight at the gates. Both are adopting wary stances and are armed, though their weapons haven't been drawn.]

Tifa : They don't look inviting.

Cloud : I agree. If Utai really is evacuated, they'll probably have orders to keep us out.

Tifa : (eyes narrowed) If that's true, I'm getting a lot more curious about what Godo's planning on doing with Yuffie's materia.

Cloud : We'll find out in a few minutes. (louder; to ninja) We're here to speak to Godo.

Ninja #1 : Utai is under a state of emergency. For your own safety, we can't allow you in.

Cloud : What kind of emergency?

Ninja #1 : (hesitates) We're not at liberty to say.

Cloud : If you're not going to let us in, then call Godo out here.

Ninja #2 : (shakes her head) Master Godo is... occupied with a very important matter at the moment.

Tifa : This important matter wouldn't happen to involve Yuffie, would it?

[Both ninja exchange brief glances. They look decidedly uncomfortable with the direction this conversation seems to be heading. They obviously want to avoid confrontation with both Cloud and Tifa, but the martial artist knows that they'd resort to a fight in order to prevent their entry.]

Ninja #1 : We really must insist that you leave right now. We're under strict orders to stop anyone from entering our village.

Cloud : (menacing) Let us through. Now.

[The ninja steadfastly refuse. As if by some unseen signal, both parties brandish arms and assume battle stances. The two ninja wait, preferring to play it defensively.
[Cloud moves first, directing his attack at the ninja just in front of him. Bringing his sword about with a speed that belies its tremendous weight, he arcs it through the air towards his opponent. The ninja wisely doesn't even try to parry the blade and avoids the cut deftly, then steps in swiftly to close the distance between them. His own swords -- tiny things compared to Cloud's -- move in to draw blood. If the ninja is hoping to bring the fight to his favour by nullifying the advantage of Cloud's reach, he is sorely mistaken. Cloud is just as deadly at close range as he is at a distance.
[Tifa, meanwhile, observes her opponent carefully. The ninja is holding her ground, her nunchaku ready to reach out at any chosen moment. The martial artist buries a growl deep in her throat, feeling a stab of impatience at this delay. She's sure that there will be other ninja joining in pretty soon.]

Tifa : (thinks) Gotta take these two out fast.

[She charges. The nunchaku whips out in a horizontal sweep but before it even touches her, Tifa vaults into the air. Flipping in midair to bring herself upside down, she passes over the astonished ninja's head at just less than an arm's length away. Reaching out, she catches hold of the upturned face with both hands and twists her body savagely in the air, forcing her captive to move along with her lest she break her neck. As gravity asserts its hold and Tifa begins to descend, she flips over again and heaves, pitching the ninja up into the air by the head even as the martial artist brings her own feet downwards for a safe landing.
[The other woman flies through the air for an impressive distance. Though disoriented, she nevertheless attempts to brings herself about for a controlled impact with the unforgiving ground. Her touchdown is less than graceful and infinitely more painful than Tifa's. She comes to a sliding and crashing halt amidst a cloud of dirt and dust. Tifa hears a faint groan, but the ninja doesn't get up.
[A loud clanging of swords draws her attention to Cloud's battle. Before she can give a hand, though, Cloud deflects a blow from his opponent, rushes in as the man is momentarily off-balance, and lays him out with an uppercut. Before the ninja's unconscious form even hits the ground, Cloud is moving past him.]

Cloud : (to Tifa) Let's go!

[They run into the village, down the street towards Yuffie's house. As they arrive at the bridge that spans the stream just ahead of Utai's restaurant, though, several figures emerge to block their way. Both Tifa and Cloud slide to a halt.
[Three ninja face off against them, two armed with swords while the third holds a bullwhip confidently in his hands. They advance slowly, but pause when -- with a thunderous roar -- Barret and Cait Sith burst in on the scene. Their hesitation isn't long in lasting. Through some unspoken agreement, they descend simultaneously upon the four.
[Tifa sidesteps the first ninja that comes for her, pushing him within range of Barret's gleeful attentions, and turns to face the next one. There's a loud crack in the air just in front of her face and then a sudden stinging pain on her left cheek screams for her attention. She winces as, with another crack of the whip, the ninja inflicts another gash, this time on her arm. Every effort to bring herself closer to the man is easily halted by the ninja, and Tifa soon hoards an interesting collection of crisscrossing scars. Gritting her teeth and feeling coldly furious, she begins to gather as much energy into her hands as she can.
[A dark spot, small at first, then quickly enlarging, envelopes the whip-wielder before her. Tifa blinks and glances upwards, unable to help herself. The equally perplexed ninja follows suit -- in time to catch a glimpse of the large white moogle rump just before it smacks right into his face and drives him to the ground.
[Cait Sith straightens his odd-looking cap and waves cheerfully at Tifa from atop the moogle's shoulder.]

Cait : Neat landing, huh?

[Tifa spares him a quick smile and runs past him, shouting her thanks. The moogle gives a curiously high-pitched mew, obviously enjoying itself immensely. Seconds later, the ninja beneath proceeds to give his rendition of a human trampoline. As Tifa leaves the chaotic scene behind, she can just barely hear Cait Sith encouraging his mount in its rambunctious jig.
[The martial artist moves past the buildings, finally emerging upon the long stretch of road that leads to the Kisaragis' house. Just beyond the low canopy of trees, she can barely make out the rooftops of the house in the rapidly darkening skies.]

Tifa : (thinks) Almost there, Yuffie!

[Despite her eagerness, she slows down her pace a notch. No telling if there are any other ninja along the path. She could confidently handle one or two at once; three or four would probably pose a bit of a challenge depending on their relative levels of skill. Regardless, she'd much rather avoid confrontation entirely and just get to Yuffie as soon as she can.
[A loud splash can be heard a ways off. She frowns, hesitates, then changes course slightly to head for the stream. She moves much slower now, hugging the trees and brush as she keeps the edge of the waterline in sight. Long minutes pass as she silently picks her way, finding no indication of the cause of the noise. Finally, just as she's about to give up and resume her quick trek to the house, she catches sight of a large, man-sized lump nearby.
[For a second, the alarming thought that it might be Yuffie almost makes her heart stop. Approaching the body cautiously, keeping an attentive ear out for anyone or anything else that might be around, she kneels and looks it over closely. To her immediate relief, it's not who she fears it to be. She breathes a sigh, then frowns as she gazes at the unconscious ninja's face.]

Tifa : (thinks) Wait a second... That's one of the guys who took Yuffie! (tenses) But who did this to him? Knocked him out... and bandaged the wound. Yuffie?

[She looks around.]

Tifa : (thinks) Whoever did this is gone. If it was Yuffie, I hope she's not on her way to doing something crazy. (sighs) Hope I find out what the hell's going on in this village when I'm at the house.

[She leaves the ninja where he lies and rejoins the path once again. However, she doesn't even get too far from there when she spots the second ninja leaning heavily against a tree by the path and nursing what looks to be a very sore jaw.
[He sees her coming for him and tries to rise, but she has him firmly by the collar before he can actually do anything.]

Tifa : What's going on here? And where's Yuffie?

Ioz : S-stop... shaking-ggg... me... (groans)

Tifa : (snarls) Where is she?

[Ioz peers at her expression, weighs his options, and then arrives at the appropriate decision.]

Ioz : She's gone after Godo. He's at the Da Chao caves.

[Her grip tightens considerably, cutting off his immediate supply of air and he hurriedly chokes out quick directions to the exact cave he's referring to. As he finishes, Tifa drops him to the ground and takes off in the direction of Da Chao mountain.]

Ioz : (sitting up; not too loudly) You won't get away with this! (coughs) What a day...

[He watches sullenly as the martial artist disappears from view before working himself painfully back to his tree. His jaw feels like absolute agony. He scowls, wincing as new protest shoots throughout the lower portion of his face.]

Ioz : (thinks) Damn that Yuffie. I can't believe she even took my daggers...

[He blinks. Several figures on the path are moving towards him at great speed. Three of them; one with the most lethal looking hair he's ever seen and a huge sword in his hands, another a hulking form lumbering just behind while giving a new meaning to the term 'heavily armed', and the last... a bouncing bundle of ghostly white thing bounding along the path like some deranged gigantic rabbit. Even worse, Ioz can see, silhouetted against the sky, a large airship coming in to a halt just above the village square.]

Ioz : (groans) Aww, crap...

=========================

'Salamander'

[Yuffie ducks into a shadowy corner, just missing the ninja that run past her towards the exit. She had expected to find the place teeming with warriors, and was thus pleasantly surprised to find the opposite. Obviously, Godo had really meant it when he'd ordered everyone to leave the village. So much the better for her...
[She's now more than two hundred metres into the mountain itself. She'd long ago explored the many caves that dot Da Chao mountain. As far as she can remember, this particular cave holds nothing very remarkable except for a slightly large chamber at its end. She grins and her teeth form a perfect, pearly Cheshire cat-like crescent in the darkness. She's getting increasingly curious to find out what Godo has in store at the end of this long cave.
[As she moves and evades the occasional ninja that come by, she keeps hearing references to something 'waking up'. At first, puzzled, she had debated whether or not to ambush one of the ninja and force him to tell her what's going on. She discarded the notion within minutes. Although she's sure that she can handle most of the warriors here, she doesn't find very appealing the thought of attracting all of them her way via a noisy confrontation. A few more minutes of ignorance is a small price to pay for the guarantee of undetected exploring in order to find her father.
[Now, she finally arrives at a natural doorway that leads into the cave's final hall. She takes a moment to compose herself, brings Ioz's dagger to the ready and peers in. Almost instantly, her face is bathed in a substantial curtain of stifling heat. Blinking, she eases her way in, losing the caution of her actions for every step she takes.]

Yuffie : (agape) What the...?

[The hall is large; much larger than she'd ever remembered it. She can easily imagine it to contain more than half of Utai within it now. The ceiling is a lot higher as well. She plays her confused gaze all over the hall. Numerous scars along the walls attest to the use of tools to widen and enlarge the place. Deep rutted tracks worn onto the ground indicate the transport of unimaginable tonnes of debris out of this chamber. Numbly, she wonders just how long this cavern had been worked on -- and why didn't she notice it at all? The situation is akin to the work she'd done on her own escape tunnel, but on a much, much grander scale.
[She takes the last of the few steps to bring her into the hall proper and stops. Right in the centre lies the biggest, reddest and hottest lizard she's ever seen. It's skin glows with the crimson of flame, bathing the entire cavern with its light. The heat from it is indescribable. Even from where she stands, more than forty metres away, she can see the rippling waves of hot air rising from the lizard form. It's evidently asleep, curled up in a large pool of molten rock like an eighty metre-long reptilian puppy in its sleeping berth. Each exhalation from its nostrils sounds like a rumbling parade of stomping Weapons. Occasionally, there are spouts of flame that jet from its snout. Despite all that, it somehow manages to look deceptively harmless.
[The huge thing stirs momentarily, then settles down. That little movement is enough to send tremors throughout the entire hall and Yuffie can well imagine them moving through the rock and granite outwards into Utai itself.]

Godo : Heckuva sight, isn't it?

[Godo's voice comes from behind her suddenly. She is so inured to surprises for the rest of the night, she isn't even caught off guard by his sudden appearance at all.
[Slowly, Yuffie turns to face her father. He's standing calmly, still holding her shuriken, and waiting expectantly for her reply. Behind him, obediently silent, stand Gray and two other ninja. Yuffie takes a deep breath, ignoring the sweat that drips from her face.]

Yuffie : (voice low) Dad, what the hell have you done this time?

=========================

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